Reenforcing member



Sept 3% 1924. 1,509,887

R. R. WEAVER REENFOHCING MEMBER Filed Nov. 22, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet iPatented Sept. 30, 1924 UNITED STATES 1,509,887 PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT E. WEAVER, or crrroaee, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR re GENERAL AMERICANTANK CAR CORPORATION, 01" VIRGINIA.

nrcseo, rmirnors, A coerce-Arron or wE's'r nnnnrotaerne MEMBER.

Application filed November 22, 1922, Serial No. 602,535.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT E. WEAVER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Iteenforcing Members, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to metal reenforcing, stiffening, members for usegenerally, but more especially as end-stiileners, sidestakes anddiagonal braces for freight cars.

One of my objects is to provide a construction of reenforcementwhichshall possess the maximum strength for the amount of metal used andwhich shall possess a high degree of stiffness. Another object is toprovide a construction of member of the character stated which may beconstructed from commercial metal channels; and other objects as will bemanifest from the following description.

Referring to the accompanying draw ings:-

Figure 1 is a view in vertical elevation of one end of a freight caremploying as elements thereof members constructed in accordance with myinvention, the section being taken lengthwise of the car on the line 1of Figure -2 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Figure 2 is abroken pla n section of the construction shown in Fig. 1, the sectionbeing taken on the line 2 of Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of thearrow. Figure 3 is a perspective view of an end of the reenforcingmember showing the b'eveling of the ends of the flanges thereof whenthis member is provided for use in connection with a pressed steelconnection plate at the corner of the car.

Figure e is a similar view of the TGBIlfOI'C'.

ing member in final form and the pressed plate referred to, showingthese parts assembled. Figure 5 is a broken plan view of one end of areenforcing member constructed in accordance-with my invention and of aform suitable where it is desired that the reenforcing member beprovided with angulariy extending portions at its ends, as for example,to overlap the sides of the car where the reenforcing member is appliedacross the end of the latter. Figure 6 is a view in elevation of themember of Fi 5; Figs. 5 and '6 showing a construction of member in whichthe flanges at the upper and lower edges of the member are eliminated atthe ends thereof. Figure 7 is a view like Fig. 5, of another form ofmember suitable for accomplishing the purposes of the construction ofFigs. 5 and 6. Figure 8 is a view like Fig. 6, of the construction shownin Fig. 7. lhe construction of the foregoing figures are all shownformed from connnercial channels. Figure 9 is a cross sectional view ofa reenforcing mem ber constructed in accordance with my invention frommetal of uniform thickness, as in the case of forming the reenforcingmember direct from a sheet of metal, as distinguished from forming itfrom a commercial channel; and Figure 10, a perspective view of one endof a reenforcing member constructed in accordance with my in ventionfrom metal of uniform thickness and presenting angularly disposed plateportions at its ends for accomplishing the purpose of the constructionshown in Figures 5 and 6.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 wherein I have shown one form of myimproved reenforcing, stiffening, member as applied to a variety ofpositions and for a number of different purposes, to a freight car, 11represents one of the similar end walls of the car to which reenforcingmembers in accordance with my invention and represented at 12 are aplied to form end stiffeners. The side wals of the car are representedat 13, these being shown as provided with diagonal braces 1 1 formed ofmy improved rcenforeing members, the drawings also showing my improvedstiffening member as applied to a side wall of the car in uprightposition to present a stake pocket, this member being represented at 15.

The particular form of reenforcing, stiffening, member shown at 12, 14and 15 is constructed from a commercial channel, and involves therolling of the channel into the cross sectional shape sh' own whereby,in addition to the flanges 16 and 17 provided at the longitudinallyextending edge portions of the channel, the member is caused to presentmidway between the edges just referred to, webs 1-8 and 19, which extendin the same general direction as the flanges 16 and 17 and substantiallyparalleltherewith, the outer edges of the webs 18 and 19 being connectedtogether by a substantially fiat wall, as shown. Thus deforming thechannel causes it to present two web portions 20 and 21, each of videdwith two flanges at its opposite edges, as above referred to. Thereenforcing, stiffening, members are applied to the sides of the car tobear at their web portions 20 and 21 against these walls, in whichposition they are rigidly secured as by rows of rivets, as shown.

The reenforcing and stiffening member of Figs. 3 and 4 is of a formhighly desirable where it is to be associated at its ends with angularplate members and where it is desired that these angular plate membersoverlap the walls of the car extending at angles to the wall thereofagainst which the reenforcing member is applied. Such an angular plateis represented at 22, and the reenforcing and stiffening member referredto, at 23. The member is of the same construction asthe members 12except that the ends of the member 23 are deflected outwardly to providerecesses 24 at the rear sides of the ends of the member 23 into whichthe adjacent end portions of the plates 22 extend, these parts beingconnected together as by the rivets 25. The member 23 is deflected, asstated, to produce recesses of a depth substantially equal to thethickness of the plates 22in order that the rear faces of the plates 22shall extend flush with the rear surfaces of the portions of the members23 intermediate its deflected ends. The flanges of the member 23 at theextremities which is prothereof are preferably beveled, as indicated.

As an example of the use of the construction shown in Fig.4, it may bestated that it may be used at the same places on the car as thoseoccupied by the member 12 in Fig. 1, in which case the rearwardlyextending portions 26 of the angle-plates 22 would overlap the sides ofthe car to which they may be secured, as by rivets secured in theopenings 27 in the plate portions 26.

Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive illustrate constructions of the reenforcing,stiffening, member which may be formed from commercial rolledchannelsand which, as integral parts thereof, provide rearwardly extendingsections serving the same purpose as the porti ons 26 of the angleplates 22 of Fig. at. According to the showing in Figs. 5 and 6, theupper and lower flanges 16 and 17 at both ends of the member are cutaway at right angles to the member,'as represented at 16 and 17 and thecorrugation of which the webs 19 and 20 are parts, is rolled out at bothends of the member along inclined lines as shown at 27 of one end of themember. The portions of the member beyond the junctures of thecorrugations with the web portions, is of flat form, these, portionsbeing bent rearwardly to present rearwardly extending plate portions,the said portion at one end of the memberbeing represented at 28 andbeing provided with rivet receiving holes as explained of the portion 26of the plate 22.

The construction shown in Figures T and 8 is the same as that shown inFigs. 5 and 6 except that the flanges l6 and 17, instead of beingsevered along lines extending at right angles to the member, are severedalong diagonal lines 29, and the corrugation of which the webs l9 and 20are parts instead of being rolled into the shape as shown and describedin the constructions shown in Figs. 5 and (l, is rolled out into theshape shown in Figs. 7 and 3 wherein the corrugation merges into therearwardly extending plate portions 3) of the member.

If desired, the reenforcing. still'cning, member may be formed from asheet of metal of uniform thickness bent into the di sired crosssectional form, as distinguished from manufacturing it from a commercialrolled channel, and when so constructed,

would preferably present: the cross sectional shape as shown in Fig.

The forming of the member from a sheet, as states, lends itself to theproduction of reenforcing, stiffening members of the forms as thoseslown in the preceding figures and for the purposes above stated. here,however, the ends of the members are to be so formed that they willpresent, as integral parts thereof, angularly disposed plate sectionscorresponding with the plate sections 28 and 30 of Figs. 5 and 7,respectively, the upper and lower flanges of the member and representedat 31 and 32, need not he cut. away, as explained of the constructionsshown in Figs. 5 to S inclusive, but may be flattened as shown in Fig.10 to extend in the same plane as the web portion of the member, thecentrally disposed corrugation of the member likewise being lattcned,the fi t-tening shown being along line corre sponding with the line 27of 5, but if desired, the deforming of this corrugation may be as shownin Fig. 7. The deforming of the corrugation referred to and the bondingdown of the flanges 31 and 32 as stated, causes the rearwardly extendingportions of the member, the said portion at one end of the member beingrepresented at 100, to be of relatively great height; as compared withthe height of the body of the member, as shown, which is an advantage insome cases, it being understood that if desired, the flanges 31 and 32may be cut away entirely at the ends of the member as shown andexplained of the constructions in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive, or onlv partway cut away.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that a reenforcing,stiffening, member of the cross sectional shape shown presents a highdegree of strength and stiff ness compared with the amount of metalused. Furthermore, it may be readily produced from commercial rolledchannels, and

lIiO

-when produced in either of the ways described, may be caused to lenditself to ready application to different situations and at differentplaces, particularly in a car where the use of members of this generalcharacter is desired.

While I have illustrated and described certain particular constructionsconstituting embodiments of my invention and have described thesevarious constructions as produced in certain ways, I do not wish to beunderstood as intending to limit my invention thereto, as the inventionmay be embodied in other forms and the structures produced in a mannerotherwise than as described.

I claim:

1. In combination with a car wall to be stiffened, stiffening memberconsisting of a channel comprising substantially parallel web portionsat which said member seats against said wall, the flanges of the channelbeing located along the outer lengthwiseextending edges of said portionssubstantially in parallelism and generally in the same directionoutwardly from said wall, the channel intermediate said. web portionshaving rolled webs extending substantially the length of the stiffeningmember and outwardly of the web portions, the webs being united at theirouter edges by a substantially flat wall, and means engaging said walland web portions to hold said stiffening member in place on said wall.

2. In combination with a car wall to be stiffened, a stiffening memberconsisting of a channel comprising substantially parallel web portionsat which said member seats against said wall, the flanges of the channelbeing located along the outer lengthwiseextending edges of said portionssubstantially in parallelism and generally in the same directionoutwardly from said wall, the channel intermediate said web portionshaving rolled webs extending substantially the length of the stiffeningmember and out wardly of the web portions, the webs being united attheir outer edges, a plate-like por tion at each end of the stiffeningmember, and an angularly extending portion projecting from each of thelast mentioned portions and fastened to the wall.

8. In combination with a car wall to be stiffened, a stiffening memberconsisting of a channel comprising substantially parallel web portionsat which said member seats against said wall, the flanges of the channelbeing located along the outer lengthwiseextending edges of said portionssubstantially in parallelism and generally in the same directionoutwardly from said wall, the channel intermediate said web portionshaving rolled webs extending substantially the length of the stiffeningmember and outwardly of the web portions, the webs being united at theirouter edges, the webs being united by angularly disposed portions attheir end edges, a plate-like port-ion at each end of the stiffeningmember beyond said end ed es, and an angularly extending portionprojecting from each of the last mentioned portions and fastened to thewall.

4. In the art of manufacturing reenforcing, stiffening, members, theimprovement which consists in forming the member to presentsubstantially parallel web portions, each provided along itsoppositelengthwiseextending edges with webs and flanges extendingtherefrom generally in the same direction, with the webs of the inneradjacent edges of the web portions united at their outer edges, andthereafter cutting away the end portions of the flanges at the outeredges of said web portions, rolling the ends of the corrugations formedby the upright webs at the inner edges of the wall.- contacting webportions to cause the ends of the member to be of plate-like form, andbending the extremities of the deformed member to extend at an angle tothe body portion of the member.

ROBERT E. WEAVER.

